Rock Heart
by john.vallis
Summary: "You've been everywhere Doctor." said Clara to her not-so-kind and ever-so-new Scottish friend. "Not everywhere Clara, I'm not loom bands."


"There's no need for that sort of language Doctor." Clara's head appeared from behind the TARDIS console.

"No seriously, that's what the planet is called." said The Doctor tapping on the monitor. Clara gave The Doctor a stern look. "We won't go there then. How about somewhere I've never been?"

"Are you sure a place like that exists?"

"Of course it does and I've got the perfect place in mind." The Doctor flipped a switch and the sound of the TARDIS' grinding breaks echoed through the corridors as always. "We've arrived."

"Don't I get a say? You're meant to be making it up to me after our little row." Clara picked up a piece of chalk from The Doctor's chalkboard and began to draw.

"Look there was a time a few regenerations ago when I installed a randomizer and it took me all over the place willy nilly. It was so _random_ I had to take the thing right out again after I met myself four times drinking a coffee on Hadrian's Wall." The Doctor clicked his fingers and opened the TARDIS doors. "Just be glad we're somewhere – okay."

"And where is that?" Clara put down the chalk revealing a crude picture of The Doctor being chased by a Dalek.

"An asteroid, well Asteroid Delta 17 actually, commonly known as the Stasjonen."

"And what do they do here then?"

"They dig." The Doctor offered Clara a hand and led her outside the TARDIS.

The pair had landed in a large cavernous room. Vast struts of rusting metal were forged into the rocky walls of the chamber and the muddy floor was dank and wet beneath their feet. All around them people carried out industrious task; some were carrying girders made of the same metal supporting the room, others forged them. The smell of cast iron and damp mixed with sweat and an overwhelming odour of grease.

"It stinks." said Clara.

"You're nice." The Doctor took a few steps forward with his companion and no one seemed to bat an eyelid.

"No I mean _really _stinks. It's like sticking your head in a deep fat fryer in here." Clara sniffed at the air and then retracted her nose.

"Oh, I see, you're not use to the grease." The Doctor smiled and waved a hand at a worker attempting to blend in and merge with the crowd. "You're going to have to deal with it I'm afraid because they're all a bit cyborg."

The crowd stopped, twisted and stared at the strange pair.

"Oh we're sorry, we're new here. Can anybody take us to the archaeology wing?" The Doctor's wave and smile grew with his words. A short man stepped forward in a blue overall; the rest of the crowd went back to work.

"Follow me." He said in a high pitched voice and the pair did. The worker had an unfortunate thinning head of hair which the Clara and The Doctor could both see reflecting the harsh lighting of the station and upon the man's back was the number _1104064_ written in white.

"Sorry about that." said The Doctor. "My friend, she's not used to being around so many _enhancements_." Clara and The Doctor grinned.

"It's okay, we've all been there." The small man typed a code into a panel upon a metal door. "My name is Clarke."

"Hello Clarke, I'm The Doctor and this is Clara." The door opened and the trio continued through a corridor lined with metal. "Say hello Clara – we don't want to appear rude now do we?" The Doctor nudged his companion.

"Hello…" Clara whimpered. The Doctor nudged her again, harder. "So, umm, what _enhancements_ have you got?"

"Clara, can't you ask something nicer like do you come here often?" The Doctor sighed.

"As I said it's okay, we've all been there. Turn left." directed Clarke. "I've got the standard set; in-ear, right hand to shoulder, left hand to shoulder, thighs and back plus, I've got a new set of feet coming next week. It's a right down here." The trio turned right into a new corridor carved straight into the asteroid.

"And how much did that lot cost you back?" Clara asked.

"It all comes with the job Miss." Clarke entered a number into a larger door than previous and on it's acceptance of the code the door emitted a short burst of air. "The department's just through this seal – unfortunately I'm needed up near the surface…" He tapped his right ear. "But you can work it out from here – hopefully."

"Thank you." Said Clara, she offered Clarke her hand but he refused and turned to walk away.

"Come on, in the door." The Doctor ushered the teacher into a room once again lined with metal and closed the door. "It's sealed to swap out the air – just an effort to preserve what's in there." The Doctor pointed to the other door.

"It's just a shame they don't get much on preserving themselves." said Clara.


End file.
